Carlos in Wonderland
by TheLostHalcyon
Summary: Carlos Garcia has been admitted into an asylum for his so-called delusions. But one night, he finds himself in the magical land of Wonderland with only a pale young man as his friend and guide and an age-old conspiracy following Carlos everywhere he steps. But everything isn't always what it seems to be. The only question is... is it all real? CARGAN. M/M. R&R please!
1. Once Upon a Time, There was You and Me

**Hello, Rushers! Welcome to the darkest tale that I'll be writing. Welcome to **_"Carlos in Wonderland_". **The name is inspired by, of course, **_"Romeo and Juliet." _**Haha. All sarcastic jokes aside, it's inspired by **_"Alice in Wonderland"_**. Then there is also **_"Girl, Interrupted", "The Time Traveler's Wife",__"Mai-HiME", "Mai-Otome" _**and more. ;D**

**I wrote this story ages ago (and took it down during my FF Sabbatical to keep it safe from anyone wanting to claim some stuff as their own) and dedicated it to a friend of mine. He was one of my best friends here on FF and I'm pretty sure he's forgotten about me now that it's been two three years since I've left. But I hope that he does one day stumble back into the rabbit hole which is this story. Haha!**

**So, I hope you all enjoy it! Don't forget to read and review! Constructive crticism is always welcome! :D**

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**Overture: Once Upon a Time, There was You and Me**

**Carlos POV**

Have you ever had a day in your life when the most beautiful thing in the world became the most evil monster?

Have you ever had a time when your dreams began to mess with your perception of reality?

Have you ever had a dream that started out so beautifully that you couldn't hold back crying, and then watched it crumble into the most traumatizing nightmare ever?

I guess we all have, but I have my story to tell. And I bet that one way or another, this story will save you.

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

_I guess maybe it all began when I was thirteen years old._

_My memory is bad, but I remembered a dream where I fell down a rabbit hole and entered a world that was totally topsy-turvy. If I recall well, I remember seeing two twins who always had constant skirmishes, a blue caterpillar that smoked some stuff on my face, a cat that can disappear, a king and a queen whose garden of roses I painted red with the knights that serve under the monarchs. I recalled growing large and shrinking small. There was even a tea party with this weirdo in a top hat and a hare and a dormouse as a guest. All of this happened because I followed a rabbit in a waistcoat into a rabbit hole._

_I don't know what it was, but after that incident, every single day of my life, I always saw fragments of that dream... that place... those people... what did they call that place? Wonderland, I think._

_There were so many crazy things that went down, especially the part where the king and queen I met held a trial because someone ate their tarts. How lame of them. The tea party with that crazy person in the top hat and his animal friends was beyond mad. Then, they told me tales of this unimaginably ugly, dragon-like creature they called the Jabberwocky. They told me that I must try not to run into it, even though it's been hiding for a long time. They even showed me how it was supposed to look like from a book. There was even a maze that seemed endless, and so much more. The journey to finding my way out overall was mystifying._

_But the most mystifying thing was this boy I've met in that place. He was around my age now, 16. Back then, I was 13 and he was the best friend I've made in Wonderland. He was taller than me by a few inches. He had some muscular arms. He had pale skin, brunette hair, brown eyes and a smile that always cheered me up, even if he said nothing. His right cheek had a scar scratched across it, probably from something with wicked claws. He'd tell me stories and myths surrounding Wonderland that made my imagination fly about the place. However, the scariest tale he's ever told me was the one about a boy like me who wandered into Wonderland and ran into all the crazy things I ran into and how he valiantly fought the Jabberwocky till his last breath with the aid of his phoenix friend and a scythe made from sapphire and crystal._

_He was not only my only companion in Wonderland, but also here. He was the one person who appeared to me out of nowhere to hug me whenever I cried or whenever I was totally alone._

_That boy always cheered me up. In fact, he was my best friend, even though he constantly disappears after he cheers me up. I see him fade away, leaving his clothes behind. He was a great person to be with._

_But the world is cruel. People bullied me for seeing these sorts of things; in fact, I was an outcast for seeing parts of Wonderland fuse with my reality. Sometimes, I'd see talking flowers in my parents' garden. I also encounter twins who constantly bicker like the ones in Wonderland. There was even a girl who was as demanding as the queen. I even heard voices calling out for me. The queen's sneering was always in my head. There were even times when I saw her face along a crowd, but when I blink, she disappears._

_But he was always there. He stuck by me. I was never alone. And he gave me a reason to smile every day. He is why I wake up every morning excitedly – because I know anytime today, he'll be here to see me._

**END FLASHBACK**

"What else did you see, Carlos?" Dr. Hawthorne asked. Dr. Hawthorne was a rather sympathetic lady for as shrink. Red flowing hair, fair skin, blue eyes and a gentle smile – the last one I have not seen in the cruel world outside my home. Her office was rather homey. It was a mini-library, office and living room rolled into one. Plus, she even gave me a Diet Coke before we proceeded with my appointment. I liked this lady. She was sweet.

"Well..." I continued as I lay in her red velvet couch, my fingers laced together on my chest. I looked over to the window and saw my dad, Officer Garcia, pulling out a suitcase from the back of his police car.

"What is my dad doing..."

"Carlos. Please focus. What else did you see?"

I spoke up. "There were times when the boy would appear in one minute. Then, after talking, he'd just disappear. Like, poof! But whenever I talk to him, people would stare at us like I'm a nutcase. There was even a time when people would ask who I was talking to. When I tell them I'm talking to my best friend, they'd say that I'm just talking to myself. Then, I'd look over to my friend and he's gone."

Dr. Hawthorne continued writing on her clipboard while telling me to go on.

"Then... there was this one time when I went to the movies with him. And then, a few rows below us... I saw someone's head transform into... into the..." I began to panic as the memory of the creature's disgusting countenance began to cloud my mind once more. It terrified me. Its glowing red eyes were piercing my mind with its venomous instincts. I began screaming maniacally, causing Dr. Hawthorne to shut her ears as I clutched on to my head, fell off the sofa and began rolling around the beige, carpeted floor.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" The door busted open, and my dad, Officer Garcia, entered. "CARLOS!" He ran to me and fought my flailing arms and tried to cradle me.

"NOOO! LET ME GO!" I continued fighting my dad's arms, but I couldn't see those familiar, comforting arms. All I could see was that exact same moment in the past, when I saw the Jabberwocky inching its way to me with its claws. I tried to push them away. I didn't want to die just ye—

I felt a painful slap land hard on my face. It saved me from the Jabberwocky. It saved me from reliving the same memory all over again.

But if you were in someone else's shoes, they just woke me up from my daydream with a slap. I found myself on the floor, my dad on top of me with a concerned face. Dr. Hawthorne knelt next to my dad, worried about what could possibly be wrong with my mind.

"My son... what is happening to my son?" Dad turned to Doc, who worriedly shrugged.

Doc looked at me and asked once more, "Carlos. What did you see?"

I was gasping for air now. The room felt smaller and lacking in oxygen somehow. I wanted to push my response, "The Jabberwocky" out of my lungs, but I couldn't and instead, all I could say was, "Big… dragon."

Both adults exchanged worried looks. Dad stood up, went to the fireplace and began pacing back and forth. Doc stood up and pulled out her phone. She began dialling on the device and pulled it to her ear. "Hello? Yes. I have a reserved taxi under the name of Dr. Catherine Hawthorne, 14 Marmoreal Street... yes, okay... thank you very much." With every pause, I could hear the person on the other line responding. Soon, she dropped off and pocketed her phone.

"What's happening?" I sat up became paranoid. "You're letting that taxi take me far away from here, aren't you?" I pointed angrily at Doc, but I didn't want to do that. She was a nice lady, after all. I looked over at my dad, who stopped pacing. "And you were in it, too, weren't you? You're going to disown me for being crazy, aren't you?"

"No, hijo!" My dad ran over to me and pulled me in for a hug. "We have nothing against you!"

"Then why did Doctor order for a taxi?"

"Because... son. Doctor Hawthorne and I have been discussing the matter lately and it's been decided by me, your mother and Doctor that you need to be admitted into Rutledge."

"WHAT? No! Not Rutledge!" I panicked. Rutledge Asylum was one of the best mental institutions in California. There was no way I was going there! That place is filled with crazy people! "Dad! Please! You have to believe me! I'm not crazy!" I clung onto my dad's leg in desperation.

"Hijo." He knelt down, his thigh putting pressure on my hand, causing me to retract my clinginess. "I believe you. But these things you see aren't healthy. You need help."

I wanted to contest more, but anything more I'll say will fall on deaf ears. All I did was nod now and accept my fate as the new inmate— I mean, patient of Rutledge Asylum.

_**Thirty minutes later**_

I looked back at my dad as the cab driver began stuffing the trunk of the taxi with my luggage. My mom walked here ten minutes ago to give me a final hug and a goodbye. She also came to give me my helmet and my blue, stuffed velveteen rabbit, the only two things that would comfort me there. My dad gave me one last hug before I boarded the cab and took off.

I watched the 4:00PM sky as the clouds began shifting around. Soon, the skyscrapers and people became fewer and the noise became less. All I could see were trees and a few houses along the drive. Soon, I fell asleep.

_**Few minutes later**_

"Kid, wake up!" I shot up from my surprisingly calm and dreamless slumber and heard the taxi driver shout from outside the cab as he took out my luggage from the trunk. Rarely did I sleep dreamlessly. Good. I didn't want any more attention on me right now. I unbuckled my seatbelt and exited the vehicle to see a huge building made of yellowish-beige bricks surrounded by flowers and trees. It doesn't look as scary as what you'd see in horror films, but I was already scared to be here with other... people.

"Good luck, kid! Get well." The cab driver patted me on the back, got back into the driver's seat and drove off.

I looked at the building, breathed out my anxiety and made my way to two, big brown doors and pushed them open, accepting my fate and deciding to let this place cure me of my "illness".

* * *

So now, I formally introduce you to the story of how I, Carlos Gerardo Garcia, Patient Number 09-00678, tried to save my mind. You may say I was crazy the whole time. You may say that everything I've been seeing was real.

Maybe I was just crazy.

Maybe Wonderland really was real.

Or maybe I was a boy... interrupted.

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**Hehe. See what I did there in the end? ;D That'll have greater significance in the end. Trust me.**

**Well, tell me how I did! REVIEWS ARE VERY APPRECIATED!**

**The chapter title is from **_"Tsubasa Chronicle"**.**_** The song is called **_"Once Upon a Time, There was You and Me"_ **composed by the great Yuki Kajiura. Well, some chapters might include a song (and the chapter title will be the name of the song I used) if it's fitting. Other chapters will be named after a YK song if ever.**

**That ends chapter one of **"_Carlos in Wonderland_"**. R&R! :D**


	2. A Stray Child

**Hello, Carganator**s!

**So, thank you to** _annie _**and **_The Logan Train _**for my first reviews. ^_^ I'm still hoping for more people to like reading this. And surely, people will. I have faith in that. **

**Guys, don't forget to review this after reading it! And don't forget to advertise this to your friends! Get them to review this bitch! xD**

**Oh well, on with the show!**

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**A Stray Child**

**Carlos POV**

_"Kid, wake up!" I shot up from my surprisingly calm and dreamless slumber and heard the taxi driver shout from outside the cab as he took out my luggage from the trunk. Rarely did I sleep dreamlessly. Good. I didn't want any more attention on me right now. I unbuckled my seatbelt and exited the vehicle to see a huge building made of yellowish-beige bricks surrounded by flowers and trees. It doesn't look as scary as what you'd see in horror films, but I was already scared to be here with other... people._

_"Good luck, kid! Get well." The cab driver patted me on the back, got back into the driver's seat and drove off._

_I looked at the building, breathed out my anxiety and made my way to two, big brown doors and pushed them open, accepting my fate and deciding to let this place cure me of my "illness"._

Making my way through the doors, I was greeted by this African-American lady and a big, fat guy with an unshaved face. Both of them wore white scrubs and white shoes. The lady held a clipboard and was wearing an intricately-knitted poncho.

She came up to me and said, "Hello. Welcome to Rutledge. You must be Carlos Garcia?"

"Err… yeah." was all I could reply.

The lady smiled and replied, "I'm Kelly Wainwright. Head Nurse at Rutledge. This here is my assistant, Gustavo." She pointed to the big guy with the unshaved face. That guy already looked scary at first sight. _Damn, t__hat guy will NEVER get laid._

"Hi." I smiled. I'll have to be really friendly to them. I mean, God knows how long I'll be staying here.

"Gustavo, show Carlos to his room." Kelly ordered before she smiled at me once more, greeting me a silent 'see-you-later' before walking away to attend to another patient. "Margaret, make sure that Janet eats something, will you…"

So now, it was just me and Gustavo, the creepy male nurse… _murse_. That's the 'proper' term! Murse! Haha!

"All right. Come with me!" He gestured me to follow using his arm. Man. This big guy's got a big scary voice to match his _big scary aura. _"Stay close to me because it's easy to get lost here."

_If you are lost in your way  
Deep in an awesome story  
Don't be in doubt and stray  
Cling to your lonesome folly_

I picked up my suitcase and followed Gustavo up a fleet of stairs next to the nurses' station. I remembered going up two sets of stairs before realizing that we were in the third floor. The floor was very small, considering that it was home to two bridgeways. Gustavo hollered at me to follow him to the bridgeway on the right. The bridgeway was a little modernized, with glass surrounding the bridge with silver metal railings. The floors here were tiled white.

Gustavo knocked on the glass. "See this glass? It doesn't break easily if any suicidal patient tries to crash their body through it."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" I questioned, only to realize that my answer was lying in front of me— nay. I was _**in**_ the answer. _This is a mental hospital, for God's sakes. _Suicidal patients are common in this dump. Some try to down a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. Others try to cut themselves only to accidentally press on a vain. But some prefer to jump from an n-story building and probably crash through glass in the process.

Gustavo looked at me like as if I just answered my own question, so we proceeded to the glass doors at the end of the bridge.

_Now you're too close to the pain  
Let all the rain go further  
Come back and kiss me in vain  
Mother oh do not bother_

As soon as we reached the doors, he pushed them both wide open to reveal a pleasant-looking men's dormitory. The rooms were a sky blue with marble floors. The moldings were brown, most likely cherry wood with a white ceiling and fluorescent lights.

"All right. This is the art room here." Gustavo opened two doors and showed me a room full of easels, tables, painting equipment and the like. He led me in and inside; I also saw what seemed like a storage closet with more art equipment. He also showed me the music room; the living room, which everyone hates; the phone booths; the check-in board that informs the nurses if we want to go walk in the grounds or somewhere else; a nurses' station; and the TV room, where everyone hangs out.

For the last part of the tour, he led me to a room with a single door that was labeled 306. He opened the door and gestured me to enter. Inside were one bed and a bunk bed with two people occupied in it. The room was white, along with its curtains. The floor had a brown rugged surface and a bookshelf as well. There were three closets stationed near the door, seeing as though the room can occupy only three people.

As for the two people inside, let's start with the first one. This one was blond, with caterpillars for eyebrows. His irises were green and he had fair skin. The guy could pass for a German-American, if you asked me. Even though he was seated on his desk, you could tell that this guy was tall. He wore a black hoodie, blue denim jeans and black Chucks, and to complete his look was a grey beanie.

The other one was even taller than the blond. He had brown hair and hazel eyes. I guess that if you try taking his pictures, he might not photograph well and end up looking a wee bit like a lady. He was wearing a grey v-neck, black denims and black socks. His shoes were white sneakers that were strewn about on the floor. He was seated on the top bunk.

"Boys!" Gustavo's voice rang loud and clear through the room. "This is your new roommate, Carlos Garcia." He pointed to the taller guy. "This is James Diamond."_ Diamond? _What kind of last name is _Diamond? _Sounds like a hooker's name. Why don't we just name him _Crystal Chandelier?_

"How do you do?" He climbed down, approached me, smiled and offered his hand for a shaking. I shook it of out politeness.

"And this is Kendall Knight." He referred to the German-ish guy who offered a bro fist, which I responded to, of course.

Gustavo turned to me and cocked an eyebrow. "You should feel lucky. These guys are good roommates, unlike the other nutcases here."

"Why, thank you, Gustavo!" James smiled again.

Gustavo rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. Don't get ahead of yourself there, Diamond."

"Yeah." The brown-haired boy sighed.

Gustavo waved a goodbye before closing the door, leaving me in a room with two strangers I barely knew.

_Hear the chorus of pain  
Taking you back to proper ways  
It's so easy to find  
If you could remind me_

James climbed back onto the top bunk to lie down. Meanwhile, Kendall grabbed his chair and sat down while I placed my suitcase in front of a vacant closet and began taking my folded clothes out and placing them in. "So, Carlos… what are you in here for?", Gerbil Brows asked.

"Err…" I didn't know how to respond to that. I didn't even know my disease yet! "…well, all I know is that I see things. You guys?"

James sat up and quietly admitted, "The doctors claim that I have NPD."

"NPD?" I raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

Kendall blurted out, "Narcissistic Personality Disorder." He continued with an ashamed face. "I'm here due to my bipolar and kleptomania."

"Kleptowhata?"

"Kleptomania." James helped me. "It's a condition when you impulsively steal shit."

"Ohh…" I resumed unpacking my stuff. I was so engrossed with my business of removing my clothes from my suitcase and placing them in the closet that I didn't notice Kendall hovering over me. "WOAH!" I shrieked in surprise.

"AHHH! So sorry! Didn't mean to surprise you." He shrank back to his seat in shame.

I continued on with my process. So now, the last thing to remove was my blue stuffed bunny. But I realized that it wasn't there! Where was the bunny! Don't tell me I left it in the taxi! "Ugh, guys. Have either of you seen a blue stuffed bunny lying about here?" I asked my roommates.

"Ask the _klept-__**ho**__-maniac_ there." James gestured his head towards Kendall, who looked rather calm at the moment. Why James included the word "ho" in "kleptomaniac" I don't understand. Maybe in the next few weeks… or months… and hopefully not years.

I stood up from my spot and walked over to him. "Did you steal my bunny?"

Immediately, he took out the blue stuffed toy that was hiding behind his back. "I'm sorry. I do that. But I'm getting there! I promise!"

"You were getting there also when you stole my Cuda hairspray last week." James bitterly recalled.

Kendall rolled his eyes and replied, pissed. "You threw a pillow at me and called me a moron."

"For what?"

"For not knowing what day it was!"

"That is so… okay, so what?"

"GUUUUUUUUUUYYYYYSS!" I yelled out loud to get everyone's attention while looking at my watch. "Didn't Gustavo say that dinner is at 6:00?"

_Now you are lost in your way  
Deep in an awesome story  
So I will find you again  
Kiss you for lonesome folly_

**At the cafeteria**

"NEXT!" The lunchlady in a pink outfit, white apron and a hairnet called for the next person as I left the lane, with my food on my tray – fish fillet with tartar sauce, spaghetti and a cup of mixed fruits.

The cafeteria's walls were painted a bright yet not-much-of-an-eyesore yellow, with white pillars along the walls. The tiles were white, but not marble. There were numerous tables along the room, and it's in this room where mixed company was allowed, so it's only here where you can see the girls. I was looking around for an empty seat, but everywhere looked full. I wasn't one to want to be alone, but right now, I just wanted to be alone.

I didn't feel so secure in this new life I have to live as a mental patient. Well, it'll only be for a few months, but still.

I decided to sit with my back against the wall, watching everyone's behavior. There were those girls who were petting their dolls, boys who twitched like scared little cats, and many more. There were those who refused to eat their food and those who ate it but looked like they wanted to puke it all out. There was even one who was having a fit and the nurses had to calm him down.

I always ask myself what I had that made me an eligible patient at Rutledge. I mean, sure, it's for nutcases. Sure, I may have delusions, but my condition can't be that bad now, can it?

I'm wondering why my dad allowed me to be admitted here. I just don't understand at all. As soon as I stepped into that cab, I felt so lost and abandoned. I felt like I was going away forever and that I was never going to see Papi and Mama ever again. They did say they'd visit, but I sure wish that I never had these delusions. Maybe I'd have a normal life like any other kid.

I trust my dad with his decisions, but I still didn't understand. And this was one decision where he might have been wrong.

One thing's for sure, though –_ I know I didn't belong here_.

_**Not at all.**_

_Hear the chorus of pain  
Taking you back to proper ways  
It's so easy to find  
If you could remind me_

_Now you are lost in your way  
Deep in an awesome story  
So I will find you again  
Kiss you for lonesome folly_

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**So, that's chapter 2 there. And hey! Kames is here! Whee! Haha.**

**The song is from one of my favorite anime,** _.hack/SIGN. _**The song is called "**_A Stray Child_**" composed by Ms. Yuki Kajiura and sung by Emily Bindiger. Yeah, I like anime, but I'm selective about it.**

**But one thing, though: I'm changing the rating of this to M because of what's coming in the next chapter. What will be in it I won't spoil just yet. Just you all wait. (CLUE:** Carlos is not involved in the M stuff.**)**

**So tell me how I did. REVIEWS ARE LIKE MAGIC SPRINKLES ON MY SUNDAE :D**


	3. Smile Like You Mean It

**Hello Carganators!**

**So first off, I want to say thank you to these little kids that reviewed (**_Teddybear no1 _**and **_Koganfan345_**). Damn! I love you guys! Even those who subscribed to alerts on this story and those who added this to their favorites! Oh hot damn! :D**

**So, this next chapter is dedicated to all of you who reviewed, alerted and favorited this on-its-way-there masterpiece. Hehe. :D**

**On with the Carlos-ness! :D**

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**Smile Like You Mean It**

**Carlos POV**

_I always ask myself what I had that made me an eligible patient at Rutledge. I mean, sure, it's for nutcases. Sure, I may have delusions, but my condition can't be that bad now, can it?_

_I'm wondering why my dad allowed me to be admitted here. I just don't understand at all. As soon as I stepped into that cab, I felt so lost and abandoned. I felt like I was going away forever and that I was never going to see Papi and Mama ever again. They did say they'd visit, but I sure wish that I never had these delusions. Maybe I'd have a normal life like any other kid._

_I trust my dad with his decisions, but I still didn't understand. And this was one decision where he might have been wrong._

_One thing's for sure, though – I know I didn't belong here._

_Not at all._

* * *

"Checks!"

I heard a voice ring loud and clear as it woke me up from my deep slumber to find Gustavo at the door with a clipboard and a flashlight turned on. I shielded my eyes from the brightness that abruptly intercepted my sight of the pitch black darkness that surrounded me. He looked my way and said, "Get back to sleep. After a few months here, these checks won't disturb you." Then, he shut the door as quietly as he could.

I rolled myself on my bed to face the wall, my body sideways. It was only the first day and I wanted to kill myself already. This place is a god damn fascist torture chamber. And I couldn't stand being in here. Okay, so it's not really some god damn fascist torture chamber like how Winona Ryder's character described it in _Girl, Interrupted_, but I really did feel the urge to escape Rutledge.

I wanted to get out, but how can I? This place is locked with maximum security. Kind of like a federal prison wherein if you try to get out, they bring you back to your cell... I mean, room.

I shut my eyes back to sleep while praying for a better day tomorrow.

_I hope that tomorrow will be better._

_Save some face  
You know you've only got one  
Change your ways  
While you're young_

* * *

_**Day 1**_

"Kendall Knight! Visitor!" Nurse Nancy, the 37-year-old British nurse with black hair fixed into a bun called from the nurses' station. Kendall, James and I, who were seated with the other male patients in the living room, looked back from the TV that played an episode of _FRIENDS _where Chandler and Rachel stole cheesecakes from their neighbor, Mrs. Braverman. We saw that with Nurse Nancy was a girl my age donned in a light brown leather jacket, a lavender scarf, plain white shirt, blue denim skinnies and brown floppy boots. She was blond with dark eyebrows and hazel eyes. She could pass as the love child of Ke$ha and Hermione Granger with that look. In her hands was a red box that I believe to be cake. Mmm... cake.

"H-hey!" Kendall stood up with a big smile plastered to his face and ran towards that girl, who readied her arms for Gerbil Brows. "Hey, you!"

"Hey, you!" She said smilingly as they had a quick chaste kiss on the lips.

"Aww..." I let out under my breath. If you ask me, it was touching to see a girl staying strong for her boyfriend who's locked up in an asylum for being a kleptomaniac and a bipolar. Meanwhile, James rolled his eyes at the two lovers and stormed off back to our room, his hands clenched into a fist as his left hand came into collision with a wall. Then, a few moments later, I heard a door slam shut. The happy couple didn't seem to hear or notice the punch or the door-slamming. Everyone else did even Nurse Nancy and Kelly, the latter passing by while checking her clipboard.

"Carlos!" I heard Kendall's voice call for me. I turned to see him and the girl, Jo, approaching me. To be formal, I stood up and walked their way.

"Carlos, this is Jo." He gestured his hands towards her and he did the same in introducing me. "Jo, Carlos."

Jo flashed a smile as gorgeous as her face. "Hi, Carlos!" She stretched out her hand as a signal for a handshake.

I shook her hand back and greeted her back. "Hi."

"So, I hope you don't mind me asking, but since I'll be going to do pre-med after high school to be a psychiatrist, what are you here for?" She asked me as cautiously as she could. I could tell she didn't want to offend me. But why would I be offended about something that I knew could be true about myself? After all, Kendall told me yesterday that when Jo asked James about his illness, he vehemently _attacked_ her and Kendall had to pry him off of her.

"Well..." I was looking for the proper way to phrase that I didn't even know what my disease is. "...err, the thing is, I see things. That's all I know."

Jo nodded as if she understood what I was going through. "So, you have delusions. You're a schizophrenic, then?"

"A schi-whatawhatawhata?"

Jo giggled and repeated. "Schi-zo-phre-nic." She broke down the words syllable by syllable. "Well, I can't be too sure. You might want to ask your nurse if I'm right." She smiled before she and Kendall waved goodbye at me and they went downstairs to enjoy Kendall's grounds privileges. After all, I think I remember seeing a swing outside the males' dormitory.

I turned back and headed directly for my shared room with Kendall and James. I grabbed the handle and found that it won't budge. I began pounding on the door. "James! James! Ja—"

The door opened so fast that as soon as it did, I ended up pounding on James' forehead twice. He was surprised by what happened and at the same time, I think... adamant about what happened.

My eyes grew wide and retracted my arm quickly. "Oh my god! I'm so so so super duper sorry, James! The door opened fast, and—"

"Oh, it's okay." James reassured me that he wasn't hurt and held a poker face while allowing me access to our room. On my way in, I noticed that his eyes were puffy and red. It looked like he just cried.

I made my way inside and sat on the bottom bunk while he sat on Kendall's bed, which was the separate bed parallel to the bunks James and I occupy. "So, what's up? Why did you leave so soon when Jo came in?"

He seemed taken aback by my question, but answered nonchalantly. "That matter is none of your business." I don't know if I was just another one of my delusions, but I think I saw James struggling to wipe a tear from his face. "I'm fine." He added. Then he repeated softly. "I'm fine."

_Boy  
One day you'll be a man  
Oh girl  
He'll help you understand_

_Smile like you mean it  
Smile like you mean it_

* * *

_**Day 5**_

_Looking back  
At sunsets on the Eastside  
We lost track  
Of the time_

_Dreams  
Aren't what they used to be  
Some things  
Sat by so carelessly_

I was still dumbfounded about why James looked like he was crying. Maybe Kendall hurt him. James seems rather sensitive the more I got to know him. I mean, it seems like he's always mean to Kendall every time Jo comes around to visit.

In fact, when Kendall was about to steal another patient's handkerchief, James asked out loud what Kendall was doing. Kendall, who was shocked that someone was watching him, replied innocently, "Nothing".

Then, James answered back with, "Why don't you go back to our room and do nothing?" He said that mockingly and with a face that caused Kendall to break into tears and dash off to our room.

What goes on in James' head, _I honestly don't know_.

As for Kendall, it became hard to get to know him, considering how he's been trying to get in my pants. Seriously. Without his meds, he follows me everywhere and tries to pin me to the wall and fondle me in… places. Well, that is, until he takes his meds, then he's okay. Then it becomes easier.

"Hey!" A girl with wavy brunette hair and fair skin sat in front of me. She wore an NYU Tisch sweatshirt, black leggings and a white pair of Chucks. I met her when it was my third day in Rutledge. She had a sort of a shift, I think. One moment, she says that she's a normal teenager named Miley who is secretly doubling a pop star at night. The next, she says that she's a pregnant superhero named Yuki. But when she's on her meds, she's this ambitious young girl who wants to make it big on Broadway… or Hollywood, whichever comes first for her.

"Hi Camille." I smiled as I took another spoonful of seafood chowder. I loved this chowder. In fact, I want eat it all day in my dorm room. I wonder if James can manipulate Kendall into stealing a whole cauldron of it Hmmm... Well, back to reality. I was going to take a spoonful of the chowder until I felt a scalding hot liquid on my shirt. "What the hell!" I yelled out loud, getting the attention of so many people inside the cafeteria.

"Don't eat that chowder!" She screamed out loud with a Swedish accent and with tears running from her eyes and her face turning a passionate red. "Don't eat that, Arnold!"

"Well, I can't eat it now! It's on my shi— wait, what did you say?" I think I misheard her because for a moment, I thought she said that it was poisoned.

"Don't eat it, Football Head! Listen to me. I am International Superspy Helga Pataki, and Rhonda Wellington Lloyd had your chowder poisoned, Arnold!" Camille cried out loud as she held my shirt and pulled me in for a hug, and surprisingly, she didn't get a stain on her sweatshirt. As soon as she pulled away, she began acting as if she was an old British hag that needed glasses. "Oh my! Everything's so blurry! I need my glasses. And a cup of Darjeeling tea." Camille began walking away and in the process, bumping into tables and people. In fact, when she bumped into Kendall, she thought it was a donkey. How on earth Kendall resembled a donkey I will never know.

Kendall just made a weirded-out face at the girl, shook his head and just made his way to my table. Of course, instinctively, I asked, "Oh my god. What the hell was that?"

"Oh. You want to know why Camille does that?" Kendall raised a caterpillar— I mean, an eyebrow at me before taking a spoonful of his chowder. I'm not sure if I was just hallucinating things, but I think I saw a white dormouse in a frilly pink and white outfit swimming around in it.

I shook off the idea and returned myself to reality. "Err... yeah."

"Camille has dissociative identity disorder." Kendall set the spoon down before reaching for his glass of water. "Mind you, when you ask her later about Helga and Mrs. Netherfield, the tea-loving grandmother with thirty-nine cats, she'll tell you she had no recollection of it, let along that chowder stain on your shirt." He pointed to my shirt as he mentioned "chowder".

I looked down and realized that the stain was HUUUUUUUUUGE. Man! I have to get changed. I went to the nearest nurse, a tall, black-haired, broad-shouldered male, to give me permission to change. He smiled and nodded and escorted me back to my room. As soon as I passed through the doors, I heard Kendall's voice ring through, shouting, "Carlos, you can have my chowder when you come back!"

_Smile like you mean it  
Smile like you mean it_

* * *

_**Day 18**_

_And someone is calling my name  
From the back of the restaurant  
And someone is playing a game  
In the house that I grew up in_

It was around 1:17PM when this rather… inappropriate thing happened.

James, dressed in a gray fit shirt and blue basketball shorts, entered our room from his regular workout. He was sweating a lot and he grabbed the white towel on his shoulder to bring near to his face and wipe off beads of sweat running down his face. As soon as he put it back on his shoulder, he felt a force tackle him to the door. James' eyes shut and his throat let out an "oww" as soon as he felt his back crash onto the door. When he opened them and looked down, he found a shirtless Kendall wearing red pair of boxers. His arms wrapped around James' torso.

"Hey there, baby." Kendall looked up and winked at James seductively.

James was turning redder than red and stuttered, "Uh... w-wh... What's wrong with you, K-Kendall? Are you off your meds again?"

"C'mon, James." Kendall began pulling James towards his bed, his intentions clearly laced with lusting for the taller boy. "I need you right now, especially when you're sweating like this. I just love it when you glisten." Kendall began attacking James' neck right on the pulse point, earning moans that inadvertently escaped the taller boy's throat.

"W-wait. Please. We need to stop—"

"And why's that?" Kendall raised a gerbil—I mean, eyebrow at James, giving a look that made James question whether he wanted another hump session with Kendall. Yes. _Another. __**They've done this before, yes.**_ To convince James to give in yet again, Kendall began sucking on that same spot again on James' neck, filling the entire room with more moans and groans.

"B-but what if C-Carlos..."

"Oh, to hell with Carlos. Let him watch." Kendall pushed James onto the bed and crashed his lips onto James. James tried to fight it off, but Kendall was too strong for him. Eventually, the taller boy gave in and began running his arms up and down Kendall, who began his work on James' sweaty neck. He was licking on the pulse point that always got James moaning.

"Oh my god." James moaned loudly and wrapped his muscular arms around Kendall's neck and allowed his friend to let him have his way with James.

As I mentioned before, they've been doing this even before I got here. It was like a habitual thing. Actually, almost every day. It only happens when Jo doesn't visit and when Kendall's off his meds. Okay, I'm really beginning to have a feeling as to _**why **_James was crying then...

"CHEEEEECKS!" Gustavo came bursting in for afternoon checks. As soon as he saw the two 'lovers' in bed and 'at work', well, let's say he didn't receive _**that **_well. Gustavo's face turned as red as a tomato from the shock and embarrassment of walking in on two people fornicating. "OH MY GOOOOOD!" He screamed in surprise and quickly shut the door. He made a break for it, turning blue in the process, as if his soul just left his body.

I, holding a delicious mocha cake dropped off by my parents who visited along with my three best friends, Lucy, Stephanie and Jett, was on my way to my room, excited to share this cake with my friends. But don't worry! My parents brought two cakes. We just ate the first one with Kelly. So that makes... 7 people who ate the first cake! Okay!

I saw Gustavo sprinting from the direction of our room. He was still able to warn me (shrilly, if I may add) not to enter our room. Of course, being the curious kid that I was, I paid no heed to his warning. So, when I got to my room and I opened the door, I was shocked with what I saw – a shirtless sweating Kendall in boxers pulling James' gray shirt up, exposing his wet abs and pectorals. James quickly pulled down Kendall's red boxers to expose the latter's rather huge erection. James didn't hold back on pushing Kendall onto his back to begin engulfing some German sausage for lunch. Well, that was until Kendall turned his head and spotted me at the door. James turned around to saw me as well. Both their faces turned red, especially Kendall's. Probably from an additional pang of anger towards me for cock-blocking.

I could feel my face blushing hard in embarrassment. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!" I quickly shut the door and hastily ran off to the bathroom to hide. And hopefully, die of shame, too.

* * *

_**Day 36**_

_And someone will drive her around  
Down the same streets that I did  
On the same streets that I did_

"Kendall Knight! Visitors!"

James, Kendall and I looked up from the TV and saw a middle-aged woman and a little girl who resembled her mother. Both of them were holding food for Kendall, I bet.

"Mom! Katie!" Kendall smiled as he stood up to hug the mother-daughter pair.

"Mrs. Knight!" James also ran off to hug them.

Mrs. Knight opened her arms for James and hugged him. "Aww, how are you, James?"

"Doing fine, Mrs. Knight. No narcissist thought. No insensitivity. No jealousy." He smiled, assuring Mrs. Knight that all was well. Well, except for the _jealousy _part. It was obvious that James was jealous of Kendall for having Jo. Or was it Jo for having Kendall... I don't know, but I feel like one of those is the answer.

I stood up as well and made my way to the group. Kendall was the first to introduce me to them. "Hey, Mom. Katie. This is our new roommate, Carlos Garcia. He sees things."

"Cool!" Katie flashed her teeth and squealed in interest. "What do you see?"

"Well", I bent over to be face to face with Katie, "Once, I saw a dormouse swimming in your brother's chowder!" I smiled and tickled the little girl on her sides.

Katie couldn't help but giggle. "You're so cool!" She turned to her mom and asked in the cutest possible manner, "Mom, can we sneak him home?"

Mr. Knight raised her eyebrows, turned to her daughter and replied. "I know you, Katie. If you'll just use Carlos in one of your business ventures, you might as well turn him in to the brothel house and make cash out of him."

My eyes widened in shock. _Oh my god! Who was this girl?_

"Mom!" Kendall called the ladies' attention with a weird smile and wide eyes. He gestured his head to the left... well, me. "He's right here."

"Nah, it's cool." I smiled, reassuring that I wasn't weirded out by this girl. And her mother.

_Smile like you mean it  
Smile like you mean it  
Smile like you mean it  
Smile like you mean it_

_Oh no, oh no no no  
Oh no, oh no no no_

* * *

_**Day 45**_

I couldn't sleep this time. I was lying in bed, wearing my favorite blue pajamas, with my stuffed bunny in my arms. It was 11:59 and I could seem to sleep after ten minutes ago. I don't know why but, I couldn't sleep.

"Carlos."

I heard a voice call my name. I grabbed my blue stuffed bunny for security and looked around and checked on my roommates. I saw that Kendall was asleep and hugging a pillow. I climbed up a little to check on James, who was curled up in fetal position. I climbed down and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I heard that voice call for me again.

"Carlos, where are you?"

My eyes immediately searched around the room for anything that could be a good weapon. Unfortunately, this is a mental institution. Anything that could count as a weapon would be confiscated. All I could find was an azure scarf in my closet. Right, because I can use this to strangle the guy if he's an intruder of sorts.

"Carlos!"

I ran and opened the door, hoping that he was there. But as soon as I opened it, no one was there. Oh my. Maybe I was just hearing things, too. But that voice, though. It sounded awfully familiar. Where have I hear it before?

Soon, the grandfather clock outside our room rang, telling us that it was now 12 o'clock midnight. Then, the weirdest thing happened. My bunny began glowing blue and it struggled in my arms. As soon as it freed itself, it jumped off from my arms and began running to the right corridor.

"C'mon, Carlos!" I heard a different voice this time. Only, it was nearer. I looked around and saw no one in the pitch black darkness of midnight. "Down here, dummy!" I looked down and found my stuffed rabbit, which transfigured itself into an actual (glowing, if I may add) rabbit with robin's egg blue fur and wearing a white collar with a golden pocket-watch attached to it. The watch had some strange yet oddly familiar symbol embellished on its cover.

The blue rabbit pulled on the pocket-watch to reveal a retractable gold chain attached to it. The rabbit opened the watched and gasped before letting the pocket-watch retract back to the collar. "We're going to be late _**now haul ass**_!" My eyes followed the glowing bunny as it found its way to a shadowy figure at the end of the corridor. A figure that I think I recognized so well. The figure called my name again before it ran off to another corridor.

Woah, wait a minute. _Did that bunny just tell me to __**haul ass?**_

In response, I ran after the figure, curious about who this figure could be and how my stuffed bunny came to life. One half of me told me to run back to my room and go back to bed. The other side told me to run after this figure, regardless of who it could be, whether it really was a kidnapper or… maybe it's… no way.

It could be him! It has to be him. _It just has to be._

* * *

**Oh my, oh my! Things are finally getting interesting. Let's make this more fun, shall we? How about a Q&A! Feel free to answer it. :D**

1) We just established that James is jealous. But of who? Kendall or Jo?

2) How did you like Kendall's maniacal sex drive? I readd that bipolar people have a sort of high sex drive, so it was fun to write that part. Hehe. So what did you think?

3) And how about Camille? Did you like her here?

4) Who do you think is the shadowy figure?

**So that's it for the Q&A.**

_Smile Like You Mean It_ **by **_The Killers_ **for their debut album, **_Hot Fuss. _**One of my favorite albums from them. I love it.**

**A couple of references here. Helga, Rhonda and Arnold are from **_Hey Arnold! _**The part where James was being mean to Kendall is from **_Girl, Interrupted _**where Lisa is James and Polly is Kendall. The name **_Netherfield_ **comes from **_Pride and Prejudice._

**So, review this mamacita! REVIEWS KEEPS THIS STORY ALIVE! :D**


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